ORDER GAME PHOTOS

The small school division in Idaho consists of programs with enrollment sizes ranging from 103 to 308 students. Despite the small enrollment numbers, the quality of wrestling being produced in the rural areas of the state is exceptional. The 2A/1A division returns a total of 5 individual State Champions and 53 state placers overall. Once again, the team race is expected to be close again with New Plymouth and Ririe battling for the top spot.

Hans Newby of Grace is the leader among the five returning State Champions. Competing in the 113 weight group, Newby is a 3x State Champion, All-American, and the favorite to win title number four. Seeded number three in the 120 weight division, Gage Vasquez of Firth is a 2x State Champion and will challenge for the title this year. The remaining returning State Champions are each seeded in the top three and will challenge. They include Gabe Muilenburg (106 – Glenns Ferry), Caleb Shaw (126 – New Plymouth), and All-American Tucker Bowen of Soda Springs at 120s.

Seeded number one in their respective weight groups, the following wrestlers have a combined 12 state medals. They include Tayven Kunz (106 – Ririe), Wallace Durfee (126 – Declo), Grant Svedin (145 – Melba), Hyrum Boone (152 – Ririe), Eli Prather (160 – Potlatch), and Wyatt Cutler of Grace at 170s. Other top seeds include returning state placer Jacob Shaw of New Plymouth (138), Evan Michaelson (195 – Melba), Nathan Willoughby (285 – New Plymouth), and Hunter Williams of New Plymouth, a three time state placer at 220s.

The top teams entering this years 2A/1A State Championships are defending champions Ririe, traditional power New Plymouth, followed by Kellogg and Malad. The team title in 2022 came down to the wire with Ririe edging New Plymouth by one point at the conclusion of the heavyweight match. This year could be much the same with both Ririe and New Plymouth qualifying 14 wrestlers each. Ririe returns 8 state placers with Tayven Kunz (106) and Austin Machen (145) each having finals experience. Despite having 6 returning placers to Ririe’s 8, New Plymouth returns one State Champion in Caleb Shaw (126) and has several others in the line-up that have finals potential. It will be close!

Overall, I expect the 2A/1A division to be competitive this year with Ririe and New Plymouth battling for the team race. Below is a comprehensive list of the top five teams, returning champions, state placers, All-Americans, and wrestlers ranked nationally. Enjoy!

TOP 5 TEAMS

NEW PLYMOUTH (14 QUALIFIERS w/6 RETURNING STATE PLACERS)

132 – Riley Lundy (12), 4^th, 3^rd State

126 – Caleb Shaw (12), 2^nd, State Champion

138 – Mossy Waite (12), 2^nd State

138 – Jacob Shaw (10), 6^th State

170 – Gabriel Cox (10), 5^th State

220 – Hunter Williams (12), 6^th, 3^rd, 4^th State

RIRIE (14 QUALIFIERS w/8 RETURNING STATE PLACERS)

106 – Tayven Kunz (10), 2^nd State

113 – Ches Lee Webb (10), 5^th State

126 – Zander Yearsley (10), 4^th State

145 – Austin Machen (12), 4^th, 3^rd, 2^nd State

152 – Hyrum Boone (12), 3^rd, 4^th, 3^rd State

160 – Carter Huntsman (12), 6^th, 3^rd State

170 – Declan Harris (12), 4^th State

195 – Boston Barber (12), 4^th State

KELLOGG (15 QUALIFIERS w/3 RETURNING STATE PLACERS)

120 – Ricky Haralson (10), 4^th 3A State

126 – Kolter Wood (11) 5^th, 6^th 3A State

132 – Kolby Lemmon (11), 6^th 3A State

MALAD (15 QUALIFIERS w/4 RETURNING STATE PLACERS)

120 – Trevor Mills (12), 6^th State

126 – Zach Mills (12), 5^th, 4^th, 3^rd State (ALL-AMERICAN)

145 – Kole Willie (12), 5^th State

152 – Ruxton Tubbs (12), 6^th, 3^rd State

WEST SIDE (11 QUALIFIERS w/1 RETURNING STATE PLACERS)

138 – Jed Hurren (12), 5^th, 5^th State

RETURNING STATE CHAMPION (3X)

113 – Hans Newby (Grace, 12)

RETURNING STATE CHAMPION (2X)

120 – Gage Vasquez (Firth, 12)

RETURNING STATE CHAMPIONS (1X)

106 – Gabe Muilenburg (Glenns Ferry, 10)

120 – Tucker Bowen (Soda Springs, 11)

126 – Caleb Shaw (New Plymouth, 12) ‘21

RETURNING STATE PLACERS (3X)

113 – Hans Newby (Grace, 12), 1^st, 1^st, 1^st

126 – Zach Mills (Malad, 12), 5^th, 4^th, 3^rd

145 – Grant Svedin (Melba, 12), 6^th, 5^th, 2^nd

145 – Austin Machen (Ririe, 12), 4^th, 3^rd, 2^nd

152 – Hyrum Boone (Ririe, 12), 3^rd, 4^th, 3^rd

152 – McKoy Richardson (Melba, 12), 5^th, 3^rd, 6^th

220 – Hunter Williams (New Plymouth, 12), 6^th, 3^rd, 4^th

RETURNING STATE PLACERS (2X)

120 – Gage Vasquez (Firth, 12), 1^st, 1^st

120 – Tucker Bowen (Soda Springs, 11), 2^nd, 1^st

126 – Caleb Shaw (New Plymouth, 12), 2^nd, 1^st

126 – Kolter Wood (Kellogg, 11) 5^th, 6^th 3A

132 – Riley Lundy (New Plymouth, 12), 4^th, 3^rd

138 – Jed Hurren (West Side, 12), 5^th, 5^th

138 – Keyan Boller (Clearwater Valley, 12), 6^th, 3^rd

145 – Hiatt Beck (Aberdeen, 11), 6^th, 3^rd

145 – Anthony Fabbi (Clearwater Valley, 12), 6^th, 5^th

152 – Ruxton Tubbs (Malad, 12), 6^th, 3^rd

160 – Eli Prather (Potlach, 12), 5^th, 3^rd

160 – Carter Huntsman (Ririe, 12), 6^th, 3^rd

170 – Wyatt Cutler (Grace, 11), 5^th, 4^th

RETURNING STATE PLACERS (1X)

106 – Tayven Kunz (Ririe, 10), 2^nd

106 – Landon Winmill (Soda Springs, 10), 6^th

106 – Chase Morden (Wallace, 10), 6^th ‘21

113 – Ches Lee Webb (Ririe, 10), 5^th

113 – Brylee Ganske (Salmon, 10), 6^th

120 – Price Thomas (Glenns Ferry, 11), 3^rd

120 – Ricky Haralson (Kellogg, 10), 4^th 3A

120 – Trevor Mills (Malad, 12), 6^th

126 – Jack Eddins (Grace, 10), 3^rd

126 – Wallace Durfee (Declo, 10), 3^rd

126 – Zander Yearsley (Ririe, 10), 4^th

126 – Eston Beck (Aberdeen, 10), 5^th

132 – Kolby Lemmon (Kellogg, 11), 6^th 3A

138 – Mossy Waite (New Plymouth, 12), 2^nd

138 – Jimmy Williams (Bear Lake, 12), 4^th

138 – Russell Noah (Tri-Valley, 11), 6^th

138 – Jacob Shaw (New Plymouth, 10), 6^th

145 – Kole Willie (Malad, 12), 5^th

152 – Jake Fabbi (Clearwater Valley, 10), 5^th

152 – Avery Palmer (Potlatch, 12), 6^th ’21

160 – Colton Gunderson (West Side, 11), 5^th

160 – Cutter Bowman (North Fremont, 11), 6^th

170 – Declan Harris (Ririe, 12), 4^th

170 – Gabriel Cox (New Plymouth, 10), 5^th

170 – Antwan Mosqueda (Aberdeen, 12), 6^th

182 – Walter Pelto (Bear Lake, 12), 6^th

182 – Bass Myers (Clearwater Valley, 11), 6^th

195 – Jason Buxton (West Jefferson, 12), 2^nd

195 – Boston Barber (Ririe, 12), 4^th

220 – Brenton Overall (Melba, 12), 4^th

220 – Porter Whipple (Kmaiah, 11), 5^th

285 – Josh Reyes (Western Jefferson, 12), 5^th ’21

285 – Isaac Goodwin (Clearwater Valley, 12), 6^th

ALL-AMERICANS (Fargo/Folkstyle/UWW)

120 – Tucker Bowen (Soda Springs)

113 – Hans Newby (Grace)

126 – Zach Mills (Malad)